Should You Continue Biologic Treatments During the Pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic poses unique challenges for chronically ill patients, including those receiving biologic infusion treatments, and whether they should continue their treatments.

If you have a chronic autoimmune condition, you probably have many questions as to how the public health crisis affects your disease management. The prevailing concern is how to handle upcoming appointments for biologic treatments. Should you keep your scheduled appointment or is it better to cancel it?

Biologic medications are an essential component of disease management for many conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (BD), psoriasis, and asthma.

Biologics have been shown to reduce flareup incidence and symptom severity with far fewer side effects than other drugs. These drugs are classified as immunosuppressants because they target specific immune system pathways to curtail inflammatory responses.

Given their classification, it is understandable that you, as a patient, might have concerns as to whether biologics can make you more susceptible to COVID-19 or increase your risk of developing complications from it.

What Is Known.

COVID-19 is a new type of coronavirus that scientists are still trying to understand.

We know that individuals with underlying chronic conditions have a higher risk of getting sick from the virus. There is, however, no definitive evidence on whether certain medications could result in poorer outcomes for patients.

Given the absence of clear data, physicians recommend patients to continue their biologic therapies.

Should You Stop Your Next Biologic Treatment?

The general recommendation appears to be no. However, it is best that you first seek advice from your physician about your treatment plan, current symptoms, and general health.

Biologic medications are intended to be taken according to a treatment plan, therefore stopping and restarting treatment may result in reduced efficacy or other issues. Additionally, stopping biologic therapy abruptly can be associated with a higher risk of hospitalization and poor quality of life.

Keep Yourself Safe

If you are part of a high-risk segment of the population, you should take extra precautions to avoid infection. Keep these recommendations in mind when scheduling your next biologic treatment:

When possible, schedule your appointment during non-peak hours.

Speak to your physician about their office’s safety protocols, including:

• Disinfection of equipment and common areas in between patients
• Screening for coronavirus symptoms among staff and patients
• The use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
• The maximum number of patients and staff allowed in the office at one time

Inform your doctor ahead of time about any symptoms you may have that could be related to COVID-19, including a fever and shortness of breath, or if you have a known exposure to COVID-19.

Arrange for safe transportation to and from your doctor’s office on the day of your treatment.

Altus Infusion operates under strict safety protocols to ensure the wellbeing of both patients and its staff. Our priority is your continued access to biologic treatments in a safe and comfortable environment.